Improvement in latches



N.HOLMES. Latch.

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IIIIIIIIIHHM IIA WITNESSES Y INVENTOR )I4-PETERS. PHON-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIcEo NELSON HOLMES, OF YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AUGUSTUS 4PROUTY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LATCHES,"

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222.907, dated December 23, 1879; application liled February 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON HOLMES, ot' Ypsilanti, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Knobs `and Latch-Actuating Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in door-knobs and latch-actuating mechanism, the .object being to provide a door-knob with simple and effective mechanism, whereby the latch can be readily retracted without turning the knob, and thus enable the latter to be firmly secured to 'the door-casing in any desired manner; and to this end my invention consists, iirst, in the combination, with a springpressed latch-bolt, of a knob the rose ot which is rigidly secured to the door-casin g, the shank of the knob being hollow and provided with a reciprocating push-rod having one arm of a bellcrank lever pivoted to the end thi-reef, the lon g arm of said bell-crank lever being arranged and adapted to engage with the latchbolt, whereby, a reciprocatory movement being imparted to the thumb-piece, the latch will be retracted and unlocked.

My invention further consists in the several details of construction and combinations ot' parts, as will hereinafter be explained, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyin g drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of my improved door-knob, illustrating the position of the parts when the door is closed 5 and Fig. 2 is a similar view,

` showing the latcli-b'olt retracted.

' fixed support.

To the rose A is secured one end ot a tubu lar stem, B, which is either swaged tirmly to the rose, or it may be cast solid therewith. The outer end of stem B is provided with lugs or ns b, which are received in corresponding grooves in the knob G, whereby the latter is collar, d, which rests against the inner surfacev of the knob and prevents the knob from being forced toward the rose.

From the foregoingit will be observed that the knob C is held from endwise movement on the hollow stem by means of the collars c and d, and held against rotary movement by means of the lugs or tins b. The outer face of knob O is recessed for the reception of the thumbpiece E, the latter being, preferably, const ruoted cylindrical in form, whereby it islguided andA retained in place within the recess F in the knob.

Gis a pushrod, one end of which is secured to thumb-piece E, or formed solid therewith, while the other end is slotted at for the reception of the short end of the bell-crank lever H, and is pivoted thereto by the pin IL. Bell-crank lever H is pivoted to the lugs I on the inner face of the rose A. The long arm J of bell-crank lever el'lgages in a slot, K, formed in one end of a latch-bolt., which is `pressed forward by a spring arranged in any suitable manner.

As my improvement is adapted to be applied to a great many diiferent 4constructions of latches, I do not limit myself to its application to the particular form of latch shownin the accompanying drawings.

By pressing on the thumb-piece the pushrod is forced inwardly, and operates to force the long arm of the bell-crank lever in a lateral direction and move the latch-bolt inopposition to the force of its spring.

Instead of employing a spring in connection with the latch-bolt, a spring may be arranged within the recess in the rose to force the thumb-piece outwardly.

When the hollow stem is formed solid with -the rose the sleeve is first placed over the stem. The knob is then forced onto the outer end of the stem and forced against the collar on the outer end of the sleeve. A collar is then placed around the end of the hollow stem, which projects within the recess in the knob, and the collar is then f rmly swaged to the stem.

When the hollow stem is made independent of the rose, the collar on the stem may be swaged thereon or cast solid therewith, and

the stem, having been inserted through the knobV with its collar resting on the bottom of the recess therein, the outer sleeve is then applied, and the inner end ofthe hollow stem then swaged fast to the rose.

Adoor-knob and latch-actuating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention is of simple and durable construction and of small initial cost. The knob can be securely attached. to the door-casin g or other fixed support, and is not liable to be detached therefrom, as it is made rigid with the rose. The latch is operated by imparting a slight movement to the thumb-piece by reason of the different lengths of the arms of the bell-crank lever; and as the thumb-piece is protected against displacement, (it being seated within the recessed knob,) the parts are not liable to become disarranged or impaired by constant use. By pivoting the bell-crank lever within the recess of the rose it is entirely concealed from view and completely protected from the weather, thus preventing the joints from becoming rusty and inoperative. The end of the short arm of the bell-crankleveris brought in line with the center of the shank of the knob, so that the push 4rod may operate in a direct line in actuating the bell-crank lever.

I am aware that it is not new to employ a bell-crank lever in connection with a lock or latch, and hence I make no broad claim to such element irrespective of its position and relative arrangement of parts with which it opcrates.

The knob may be made ot' porcelain, metal, or any other material desired, and the rose may be made of cast metal, or struck up from brass or other sheet metal.

' It is evident that many slight changesin the construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit "of my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described but,

Havingfully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with the rose-plate having a bell-crank lever pivoted within the recess formed therein, the long arm of said lever projecting from the recessed rose and adapted to engage with a latch-bolt, of a pushrod located within the shank of the knob and pivoted at one end to the short arm of the bell-crank lever, and a thumb-piece att-ached to the outer end of the push-rod, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a rose-plate havin g one end of a hollow stem attached thereto, of a sleeve surrounding said hollow stem, and a knob secured to the outer end of the hollow stem and prevented from rotary displacement therein by means of tins or lugs on the end of said stem, substantially as set forth..

3. The combination, with a rose-plate and a hollow stem attached thereto, of a sleeve surrounding said stem, said sleeve provided with a collar to prevent the knob moving toward the rose-plate, and a collar on the hol-V low stem which prevents the knob from moving in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

4. rllhe combination, with a rose-plate having a bell-crank lever pivoted within its recessed face, the long arm of said bell-crank lever projecting from the recessed rose and adapted to engage with alatch-bolt, of a knob furnishedwitlra hollow shank, a push-rodlo cated within said hollow shank, one end of which is pivoted'to one of the arms of the bell-crank lever, while the opposite end is furnished with a thumb-piece, which is located within a recess in the outer face ofthe knob, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with. a recessed roseplate, of a bell-crank lever pivoted therein, one end of said lever adapted to engage with a latch-bolt, and the other end connected with devices for impartingY movement thereto, and thereby move the latch-bolt, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of February, 1879.

NELSON HOLMES. Witnesses:

MARCUS T. WOODRUFF, FRANK J osLIN. 

